Texas Sharon's Bluedaze

Fracking News

Dear EPA: TX Regulators too Conflicted to Regulate

By

Dear EPA,

Please intervene in Texas! We need help!

Texas is dealing with serious pollution issues and the human tragedies are mounting yet our top regulatory agency can only conduct slap happy testing.

DISH Mayor Calvin Tillman said Friday that he is disappointed that disulfide compounds were not part of the monitoring.

“I expected them to test for everything,” Tillman said. “They seem to dismiss any real threat from those, so I’m not surprised to hear that they didn’t do any testing on them.”

Star-Telegram article

Reader Comment:

txlawyer2 wrote on 10/17/2009 7:14:33 AM:

They didn’t test for manure either, but the overwhelming odor in the cover-up proves its presence.

Something really STINKS about this latest TCEQ air quality study.

What will it take to get your attention?

We are hardworking, taxpaying citizens of the United States. You spend our tax dollars handing out industry awards that the arrogant industry uses to taunt the human collateral damage caused by their negligence.

Attn EPA: Blowing the Whistle on Chesapeake

Industry hubris has no limits! Chesapeake CEO unconcerned about backlash against natural gas production. There is no one they will not sacrifice in their quest for profits and even our city elected officials are plagued with conflict of interest issues. We have no where else to turn.

Texas has the most GHG emissions in the nation. For the sake of the whole country, intervene in Texas now!

Dear EPA, I know you are watching us in Texas.

We need federal intervention.

Update: The tone of this letter in the Dallas Morning News is so on target!

Sure, they’ll handle dirty air
4:54 PM Sat, Oct 17, 2009
Letter to the Editor

Re: “State testing Barnett Shale air quality — Agency studies 5-county area after town of Dish finds toxic emissions,” Wednesday Business.

A spokesperson for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality enthusiastically states, “We’re really going to get a handle on the air quality in that area,” referring to the impact on air quality by Barnett Shale drilling operations in Denton, Wise, Parker, Tarrant and Johnson counties.

That certainly inspires confidence after the TCEQ’s incompetence in assessing the dangers of toxic air emissions from the chemical facilities around Houston, Baytown and Port Arthur.

And let’s not forget the TCEQ’s stellar debacle in monitoring TXI’s toxic emissions in Midlothian. Keep your eyes peeled for flying pigs.
Ed Soph, Denton

About Sharon Wilson

Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.

Comments

  1. CHARLIE MURPHY says

    Profit taking that is ABOVE THE LAW leaves regular citizens defenseless. That is not the definition of DEMOCRACY – IS IT?

  2. Anonymous says

    HELP EPA!!! In Tx. WCEQ is worthless. Ever try to get a meeting scheduled to discuss how they are misinterpreting one of their rules?? It ain't gonna happen. They don't even plot the location on public mapping system to show location of polluting entities. Definitions of sources are vague! TCEQ is the system set up by the WP's in Austin to "protect us"–Ha. The measurement system of the TCEQ is largely flawed and skewed in favor of low readings of pollution. And then on top of the heap is the corrupt legal court system–very pollution friendly! So, in short we've got problems for ordinary people who live on the land. If you are O&G, or other polluter, or politician things couldn't be better.